The present invention relates generally to shopping cart or stroller handle covers and, more particularly, to a sanitary handle cover that is easily removable from a shopping cart or stroller handle for use as a bag carrying strap.
The use of metal or plastic shopping carts are widespread in supermarkets and large retail stores. Young children placed in such a cart, and particularly those in the three to four month range, tend to suck on the cart handle bar or stroller restraining bar. This is obviously an unsanitary practice. The same practice exists with children placed in strollers having a front restraining bar. Another problem with young children in shopping carts is the potential for injury if the child""s head or mouth impacts the handle bar due to a sudden movement.
Various devices have been proposed in the art for covering or padding the handle bar of a shopping cart. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, these devices do not provide for convenient storage of the device that will ensure that the cover is always available when shopping with a young child. Further, existing devices do not provide other shopping conveniences such as convenient storage of a writing instrument while using a shopping cart.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a cover for a shopping cart handle which prevents the spread of germs or injury to a young child in the cart. Further, it is desirable to have a sanitary handle cover for a shopping cart that may be converted easily into a bag carrying strap when not wrapped about a handle bar in addition, it is desirable to have a handle cover that provides convenient storage for a writing implement while shopping.
A shopping cart sanitary handle cover according to the present invention includes first and second substantially rectangular sheets having inner and outer surfaces. The first sheet is constructed of a semi-flexible vinyl material while the second sheet is constructed of a fabric material. The second sheet is superimposed upon the first sheet and is adhesively heat bonded thereto. The first and second sheets include corresponding first and second longitudinal edges extending between corresponding opposed lateral edges so as to form a single rectangular cover.
The corresponding lateral edges define a width dimension such that the cover may be wrapped about a shopping cart handle bar or stroller restraining bar with the inner surface of the first sheet bearing against the bar. Portions of the cover overlap one another at opposed longitudinal edges of respective sheets. Circular hook and loop fasteners spaced apart along respective longitudinal edges engage one another to securely maintain the cover about a handle bar.
Spring clip fasteners are coupled to opposed corresponding lateral edges of the first and second sheets for clipping the cover to the D-rings of a bag or purse when the cover is not wrapped about a shopping cart handle member. The handle cover further includes a pocket fixedly attached to the inner surface of the first sheet and defining an opening for receiving a pen therein.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a shopping cart handle cover that is sanitary, washable, and reusable.
Another object of this invention is to provide a handle cover, as aforesaid, having an impermeable layer that separates a cart handle bar from a young child""s mouth.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a handle cover, as aforesaid, that is easy to attach and remove from a cart handle bar.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a handle cover, as aforesaid, having a clip member extending from opposed longitudinal ends thereof for using the cover as strap for a purse or diaper bag.
A further object of this invention is to provide a handle cover, as aforesaid, having a durable outer fabric layer.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a handle cover, as aforesaid,